Salmon Patties with Habenero Fig Sauce

My mother used to make salmon patties, she probably still does. Hers were good, the typical Minnesota canned salmon made into patties and doused with creamed peas for flavor and packed with love and home-cooked comfort. A number of years ago I went through a nostalgic phase and suggested the AC make salmon patties. He earnestly set out to make them, in AC style.

The patties were fabulous. He started with canned salmon, mixed in a couple eggs, some matzoh meal, chopped veggies and pan-fried. The best part were the sauces he made to accompany. He started with a sour cream sauce mixed with honey, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Once, we were out of sour cream and used yogurt. Another time we only had vanilla yogurt and a star was born. Sweet and very hot, the sauce was perfect with the salmon cake. The salmon patty quickly became a go-to when we didn't feel like grocery shopping before dinner. Costco has really good canned salmon in bulk. Proving that we are not food snobs, but that anything can be made well and worth making. The patties have definitely evolved and are never boring. This recipe was a departure, as the sauce does not have a creamy component. All of the extra ingredients (cheese, veggies, spices are additions and not necessary that you have them all, but will add flavor and dimension. Get creative if you make your own, you can add pretty much anything you have in your fridge.)

Salmon Patty Ingredients
2 cans salmon
1/2 cup matzoh meal
2 eggs
1 medium shallot, minced finely
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced finely
1 oz. aged, semi-soft chevre, chopped into pieces
1/2-1 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp garam masala
Mix above together in a bowl and form into four 1" thick patties. Heat pan to med-high and add favorite oil to lightly coat bottom, we experimented with coconut oil with these, with very tasty results. Fry patties until brown on each side (since the salmon is already cooked, this is just to crisp and warm.

Habenero Fig Sauce

2 heaping tbsp of fig preserves
1 tsp lucky's habenero/garlic sauce
1/8-1/4 tsp lemon grass
Mix above ingredients together.

As I said above, AC has many variations of sauces for the salmon patties. To make our more standard version, take either sour cream, plain or vanilla yogurt and mixed with one chopped chipotle pepper and adobo sauce to taste. Very easy. Very good.

For this meal, the side dish was a nice spinach, cannelini bean salad. Here's the scoop:

1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp black pepper
1 clove finely minced garlic
1 bay leaf

Combine all above ingredients into a sauce pan, boil to reduce into a very thick sauce, add 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp fish sauce and 1-2 dried chili peppers chopped. Bring to a boil and add 1/2 can cannelini beans rinsed until heated and then add 1 1/ 2 handful of fresh spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted.